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PostPosted: Sun May 18, 2014 7:02 am 
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Walnut
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First name: Johnny
Last Name: Tang
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Hi,

We are a silicone heater manufacturer and currently designing a fretboard repair heat blanket.

Here is the one one of our customers prefers. Do you also like this so the power leads will not have to run across the headstock making possible scratches?

We here attach 3 drawing.


Thank you for your insights.

Best Regards,

Johnny Tang


Last edited by keenovo on Sun May 18, 2014 7:22 am, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Sun May 18, 2014 7:20 am 
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Walnut
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Couldn't figure out why the pictures do not show up. It did say uploaded. Well, then I will try to discribe it in words.

It is a 190W heat blanket( about 5Watts per square inch), sized 17.37" X 2.25" (taper 1.625").
The main difference is how power lead exit from the blanket.

Type 1) exit from center of one 17.37 side
Type 2) exit from center of the 1.625" end
Type 3) exit from 17.37 side and locates as close as possible to the 1.625" end

Type 3 is the one the customer likes.

Hope I made it clear.

Thank you.


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PostPosted: Sun May 18, 2014 7:58 am 
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I have never used a blanket for fretboard removal, but I would have thought 1 or 3 would work equally well.



These users thanked the author flounder for the post: keenovo (Sun May 18, 2014 8:08 am)
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PostPosted: Sun May 18, 2014 8:14 am 
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Walnut
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Thank you for the input, Lee. Just tracked parcel for you and glad to know you have received your blanket last Friday. Did you get a chance to use it yet?


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PostPosted: Sun May 18, 2014 12:31 pm 
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Yeah, difficult for me to know which would be best not having done it. Center may be my preference, so that I could work around both ends easily. But what about different sized fretboards? Does the blanket overhang?

I was thinking about a blanket for bridge removal, does anyone do that?

Just looking now and I tell ya, I'd buy one of these...

Attachment:
img-20120816-00133.jpg


I've got a fretboard removal coming up.


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.



These users thanked the author Nick Royle for the post: keenovo (Sun May 18, 2014 9:38 pm)
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PostPosted: Sun May 18, 2014 12:45 pm 
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Hi Johnny, not had a chance to use it yet but already looking at ordering a Uke blanket, and if you did the fb blanket then I would probably go for that too along with a 1x5 for bridges and a 2x5 for finger board extensions if they were available.


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PostPosted: Sun May 18, 2014 1:25 pm 
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Old Growth Brazilian Rosewood
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Neither - I use a 250w heat lamp...


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PostPosted: Sun May 18, 2014 5:49 pm 
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Hesh wrote:
Neither - I use a 250w heat lamp...



Agree, I use an old clothes iron and a ceramic blanket with a cutout that just exposes the fretboard extension. Have one for the bridge as well. It will block heat up to 2500 degrees and when I pull it off the top of the guitar is cool to touch.

I thought about getting a heating blanket like that but the iron does what I need it to and the ceramic blanket keeps the heat where I want it.

Bob


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PostPosted: Sun May 18, 2014 8:35 pm 
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Hesh wrote:
Neither - I use a 250w heat lamp...



That's also what I use. Just be sure to protect other areas of the guitar.
Tom

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PostPosted: Sun May 18, 2014 9:15 pm 
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Nick Royle wrote:
Yeah, difficult for me to know which would be best not having done it. Center may be my preference, so that I could work around both ends easily. But what about different sized fretboards? Does the blanket overhang?

I was thinking about a blanket for bridge removal, does anyone do that?

Just looking now and I tell ya, I'd buy one of these...

Attachment:
img-20120816-00133.jpg


I've got a fretboard removal coming up.


Thank you, Nick. We are also making these extension blankets as well as those for bridge repairs.
If you intend to use if for a smaller fretboard, better make sure the excessive part has something to transfer its heat to.

Type 3 will be the final design. Not sure if you can view this pic on one drive:

https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=FC43BBCC ... KTsTJo31yE


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PostPosted: Sun May 18, 2014 9:29 pm 
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Hesh wrote:
Neither - I use a 250w heat lamp...


Thank you for the input.
I guess one of the many benefits of our silicone heat blanket is PRECISE surface heating.
Personally, I think the blanket is easier to handle and more efficient than the lamp.


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PostPosted: Sun May 18, 2014 9:35 pm 
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flounder wrote:
Hi Johnny, not had a chance to use it yet but already looking at ordering a Uke blanket, and if you did the fb blanket then I would probably go for that too along with a 1x5 for bridges and a 2x5 for finger board extensions if they were available.


Lee, we are going to list bridges and fb extension blankets soon this week, probably Friday.
They are in production process right now.


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PostPosted: Sun May 18, 2014 9:44 pm 
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Walnut
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Tom West wrote:
Hesh wrote:
Neither - I use a 250w heat lamp...



That's also what I use. Just be sure to protect other areas of the guitar.
Tom


Thank you, Tom, we appreciate your input here.


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PostPosted: Sun May 18, 2014 9:46 pm 
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Walnut
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RusRob wrote:
Hesh wrote:
Neither - I use a 250w heat lamp...



Agree, I use an old clothes iron and a ceramic blanket with a cutout that just exposes the fretboard extension. Have one for the bridge as well. It will block heat up to 2500 degrees and when I pull it off the top of the guitar is cool to touch.

I thought about getting a heating blanket like that but the iron does what I need it to and the ceramic blanket keeps the heat where I want it.

Bob


Sounds interesting the way you heat,Bob. Do you happen to get a picture?


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PostPosted: Sun May 18, 2014 10:32 pm 
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keenovo,

Yea I just happen to have a picture that I posted in another thread.

This is the one I use for removing bridges. It is ceramic blanket that I bought at an outlet that sells fire brick and fireplace supplies. They use this behind wood burning stoves and fireplaces between the metal and the wall. It is rated at 2,500 degrees and really stops any heat transfer though it. I can literally put this on my hand and lay a hot iron on it and can just barely feel any heat coming through at all. How I use it is just place it over the bridge or neck extension, lay a piece of blue shop towel over the part and lay my cloths iron on that. I don't have to worry about where the iron overhangs the guitar body. Wait a few minutes and the bridge or extension is ready to come off. The other thing about it is the blanket is really quite soft so I don't have to worry about it scratching the finish.

Been doing it this way for a couple of years now and it works great.

Not to diminish your products because I am sure what you make does a great job as well. This is just the low tech version... ;)

Cheers,
Bob


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PostPosted: Sun May 18, 2014 10:54 pm 
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Walnut
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Thanks, Bob. All roads lead to Rome, isn't it? Some may take longer time to arrive, though. :lol:


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PostPosted: Mon May 19, 2014 5:21 am 
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keenovo wrote:
Hesh wrote:
Neither - I use a 250w heat lamp...


Thank you for the input.
I guess one of the many benefits of our silicone heat blanket is PRECISE surface heating.
Personally, I think the blanket is easier to handle and more efficient than the lamp.


Then we will agree to disagree - we have blankets as well but elect not to use them believing as we do that we have more precise control of actual temps and the area that we wish to heat using a heat lamp. For us it's never about making due with what we have and always about what's best for the job and how we attack the job.

Fret boards are a bit different as well in that because of the frets direct contact with the blanket for the board surface (you know.... the part that we want to remove...) is not great again because of the frets. With a heat lamp this is not an issue and we are directing heating the board regardless of the physical space taken by the frets.

Sometimes the most costly solution is not necessarily the most consistent or fastest solution.

We are a commercial repair center with multiple luthiers repairing over 100 instruments a month - again with a heat lamp. For us the heat lamp is not a second choice, it's a first choice because it works better for us.

Are you a new sponsor to the OLF, I have not heard of you prior. If you are interested in hawking your wares on the OLF you might want to contact Lance, the forum owner, and inquire about sponsorship that's how it's done here.


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PostPosted: Mon May 19, 2014 6:56 am 
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Hey Hesh,
I use to use a heat lamp as well which does work pretty well but switched to an iron just for the convenience (It just seems easier to me).

You should look into getting some of that ceramic blanket material. It will really direct the heat exactly to the spot you want without risking drying out the surrounding wood. That was one of my issues with using a lamp. If you heat up the surrounding wood and expel the humidity the wood can actually change shape by shrinking and therefor when you glue the new part down you may be gluing it on a slightly distorted top. At least that was my thought process and why I switched to using an iron. Before the ceramic blanket I used 2 layers of corrugated cardboard with the cutouts. That does isolate the heat but it still gets warm. The ceramic stops the heat from getting through completely. And it only cost a few bucks to get a 3'X 2' piece of it.

Not trying to sell anything here just passing on a great idea I found that works a treat!

Cheers,
Bob


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PostPosted: Mon May 19, 2014 7:31 am 
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How thick is your blanket, Bob?

James


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PostPosted: Mon May 19, 2014 8:26 am 
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Walnut
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I apologize if this thread is inappropriate or violates the OLF rules. I sent a pm to Lance 10 days and still waiting for his reply.

We do sell various silicone heater, and have made many standard and custom heat blankets for musical instrument building, including guitar,ukulele, etc.

But I feel honored and happy to be an OLF member with the hope of making my own guitar one day by learning here with all you seasoned players step by step. I think it's always good to start with something familiar when trying to explore in a new field, in this case for me, it's the heat blankets. So it's inevitable that I will have to mention a lot our blankets which seem like hawking. This is ,for the time being, the only thing I know about in instrument making and repair and I still hope to know how to get the best of each type of blankets in the fields, thus I posted the question in this thread.

I'm happy that I did learned from this very thread that at least there are 3 approaches to get a fretboard removed, a) heat lamp, b) iron and c) heat blanket. I believe that there must be a fourth and a fifth method out there enjoyed and considered as the best approach by somebody in this industry.

Thank you,flounder,Nick,Hesh,Rusbob,Tom, for your inputs.

I'm will delete this thread right away.


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PostPosted: Mon May 19, 2014 8:40 am 
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Walnut
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Can anybody tell me how to delete it? I search all over in the UCP in vain. Thanks.


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PostPosted: Mon May 19, 2014 9:25 am 
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i guess you can´t, but wouldn´t worry too much over it.

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PostPosted: Mon May 19, 2014 10:43 am 
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keenovo wrote:
Can anybody tell me how to delete it? I search all over in the UCP in vain. Thanks.


I wouldn't worry about deleting it. I have been here a little over a year and I don't think the rules are enforced that heavy... For the most part we are all a group of pretty happy guys and exchange ideas pretty freely. That includes products and companies that are not necessarily sponsors of OLF.

However, If you manufacture a good product and can deliver what you advertise it may be a good idea to become a sponsor here. A lot of us do support the sponsors of OLF and help them offset the cost. So it would probably help your business if you did become part of the supporters of the forum. It is not easy or cheap to run a successful forum like this one and contributions help Lance with the costs.

No one is trying to kick you away, there are plenty of guys that make jigs and other things that sell their products on this forum that are not sponsors and have not been asked to leave. So you may consider becoming one and you will get a banner at the top of the page and it will probably generate more customers for you.

I can not speak for Lance as he is the "Big Boss" here but I do think you are welcome here even if you don't pay.

Cheers,
Bob

James Burkett wrote:
How thick is your blanket, Bob?

James


James,
It is about 1/4" but it comes in all different thickness which change the heat range. If I remember correctly he said something like a 1" think blanket would shield 25,000 degrees... or some outrages figure like that. I figured 2500 would be sufficient for what I needed. it is pretty amazing stuff.


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PostPosted: Mon May 19, 2014 4:15 pm 
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I didn't feel like keenovo was pushing his wares, he asked for opinions on design for a product that some guys use. He got some opinions on it and chose the dimensions that work for his target audience. I would rather the manufacturers ask these questions rather than put something they think is best if they don't know.

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PostPosted: Mon May 19, 2014 5:09 pm 
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Hi ya Bob:

We prefer the heat lamp and have dedicated blankets and cartridge heaters all custom made and sized for the jobs but we rarely use them for applications such as bridges or board removal.

What we like about the heat lamp is that it does not rely on contact and conduction to heat the intended surface. For example a fret board with frets installed those frets are not unlike obstructions when the blanket works best in direct contact.

For anything that we do with the heat lamp(s) we also have purpose made, dedicated shields that usually.... fit like a glove so no other areas are heated but the target. When we do have a small gap out comes the chrome tape used for duct work not to be confused with duct tape this stuff is very reflective.

In addition after a while one develops a bit of a feel for how hot things need to be to turn 50 year old glue into a gooey mess that will give way. Some of the indicators that are useful to me personally in terms of judging how hot I may have a bridge are the natural oils in rosewood bridges that start to run and provide a visual indicator they also will smoke. That is if you can still see the piece that is being heated and we can with a heat lamp.

So it's a choice for us and we like the heat lamp for bridges, fret boards, etc.

A word about fret boards. If you need to remove a fret board know in advance it's not a common thing to have to do... Sure there are some vintage instruments that had ebonized or painted crap boards in the 20 - 40's that at times just need to be removed, pitched, and replaced. We just had Andy Birko make us a replacement board for one of these formerly crap instruments that is now considered "vintage" and high-priced crap by today's standards... ;)

Anyway my point is that if a product is sold with the value proposition being fret board removal it will likely have a market as vast as our saddle mill.... not very large that is.

To the OP no need to try and not be able to remove your thread, my suggestion was to contact the forum owner if you wish to use the OLF to sell heating blankets. I have no dog in this hunt but I do have friends here that are or were sponsors who also sold blankets. It would not be fair to them to be a paying sponsor and then have someone else who does not pay and support the forum use the forum to compete with our sponsors and more importantly to me our friends. That's all, I probably should not have said a thing so no offense intended.


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